This is Judy Collins first album of self-written songs and my first thought – after listening to the album through a few times – was “Why has she waited this long?”
The songs are magical, exactly what you would expect from a lady who a great many would say has the best voice ever in popular music.
There is a sense, all through, of magic and wonderment. A looking back on life with happiness and understanding. Pure and untrammelled musical beauty.
She is 82 and still has the voice to capture your heart – the same voice of ‘Both Sides Now’ and the same voice that illuminated performances with Crosby Still & Nash but it is the voice of 82 years of experience and there are some notes that don’t quite reach perfection – but it doesn’t matter because her singing her own songs is just a perfect match.
There are so many highpoints on the album: the title track with its childish innocence leading to adult themes, the piano notes cascading along with her voice and beautiful pedal steel guitar for emphasis. ‘When I Was a Girl In Colorado’, just softly sung alongside acoustic guitars and creating lovely images of childhood and growing up. ‘Thomas Merton’, ‘Hell On Wheels’, ‘Gilded Rooms’ all containing lovely stories of her years and experiences.
It is a fabulous album, 13 tracks of magic and one that I will be enjoying for ages to come.
The songs are magical, exactly what you would expect from a lady who a great many would say has the best voice ever in popular music.
There is a sense, all through, of magic and wonderment. A looking back on life with happiness and understanding. Pure and untrammelled musical beauty.
She is 82 and still has the voice to capture your heart – the same voice of ‘Both Sides Now’ and the same voice that illuminated performances with Crosby Still & Nash but it is the voice of 82 years of experience and there are some notes that don’t quite reach perfection – but it doesn’t matter because her singing her own songs is just a perfect match.
There are so many highpoints on the album: the title track with its childish innocence leading to adult themes, the piano notes cascading along with her voice and beautiful pedal steel guitar for emphasis. ‘When I Was a Girl In Colorado’, just softly sung alongside acoustic guitars and creating lovely images of childhood and growing up. ‘Thomas Merton’, ‘Hell On Wheels’, ‘Gilded Rooms’ all containing lovely stories of her years and experiences.
It is a fabulous album, 13 tracks of magic and one that I will be enjoying for ages to come.
